Newsom signs bill to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 73, Assemblymember Robert Rivas’ Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, into law on Sept. 27.
California’s wildfire season, combined with heat waves and the Covid-19 pandemic, has helped shine a light on the necessary safety protocols agricultural...
Supreme Court rules against union recruiting on California farms
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a California regulation allowing union organizers to recruit agricultural workers at their workplaces violated the constitutional rights of their employers.
The vote was 6-3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing...
Artichoke Festival closes its doors after 65 years
CASTROVILLE — The beloved Artichoke Festival, a cherished tradition in Monterey County for more than six decades, will not return this year.
The festival’s board of directors announced its official closure after 65 years of celebrating the region’s rich agricultural heritage, artichoke royalty and community...
King City weighs Meyers Farmworker Housing permit extension amid development push
KING CITY — On King City’s First Street, so-named because it was, stands a metal building with a clock. This is the Meyers Farmworker Housing Facility, a dorm-style seasonal home for more than 350 agricultural workers from Latin America.
Since David Gill, Steve Scaroni and...
Public input sought on Salinas Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plans
SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) Board of Directors on Aug. 12 approved Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) drafts to be released for public comment for the following subbasins: Eastside, Forebay, Langley and Upper Valley.
This comes after the 180/400 Foot Aquifer...
Lofgren visits Salinas Valley, receives nod from Panetta and Rivas
SALINAS — As the decennial redistricting process wrapped up last month, the concern from The World’s Salad Bowl started to mount. Local politicians, regional business giants and other community leaders asked how a plan to pair the international agricultural hub with the Silicon Valley...
Community input sought for flood-prone areas to support future groundwater recharge efforts in Salinas Valley
SALINAS VALLEY — In an effort to increase groundwater recharge and storage while reducing flooding, four local agencies and nonprofits collaborating on the Multi-benefit Land Repurposing Program are seeking public input about known areas of flooding and recharge.
A public survey is now open and...
Virtual exhibit highlights women innovators in agtech
SALINAS VALLEY — A new exhibition at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas highlights a diverse generation of women innovators and their contribution to agriculture by way of technology.
“From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators in California Agtech,” which premiered last month, uses multimedia to...
Salinas schools to close as Taylor Farms fire, evacuation order continues
SALINAS — A fire in a Salinas food processing plant that has prompted authorities to evacuate surrounding neighborhoods has now closed four nearby elementary schools as sunrise approaches Thursday.
City officials announced the closure shortly after 5:30 a.m. Thursday for Lincoln Elementary, Monterey Park Elementary, Sherwood...
CHISPA receives $680,000 loan for King City housing development
KING CITY — Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association Inc. (CHISPA) has received a $680,000 acquisition loan to purchase property in King City and create 40 affordable homes aimed toward farmworkers in the region.
The funding is being made available through the Monterey Bay...
